Jiu Li Ta was completely immobilized, left only to watch the blade cleave toward him. It was a full-force strike from a Ninth Rank Demon Lord, and even with his formidable physical strength, he knew he couldn't withstand it.

Glancing back at Chi Yi Xiu, who was charging toward him, he noted the beast's towering form, now approaching ten zhang. A faint smile touched Jiu Li Ta's lips. A Demon King—he was about to reach the realm of a Demon King. Heh heh, Chiyou Demon Venerable, the Bull-Headed Clan would soon see its revitalization.

Resigned to his fate, Jiu Li Ta prepared to close his eyes and await death, when a figure suddenly materialized before him—it was Ye Jingyu.

Gazing at this expert, clearly at the peak of the Ninth Rank, and at the demonic blade capable of slicing Jiu Li Ta in half, Ye Jingyu slowly extended a single finger. This simple gesture seemed impossibly fragile against the rampaging blade energy, yet no one present believed it was truly simple. Even the Ninth Rank Demon Lord delivering the blow showed a flicker of change in his expression.

Ye Jingyu’s arrival was so abrupt that the attacker had no time to recall his strike; he could only push his internal demonic energy harder toward that single finger, causing the blade light to flare even brighter.

With a sharp clang, like the collision of metal, the demonic blade instantly shattered.

Before the Asura Clan's Ninth Rank Demon Lord could recover, Ye Jingyu took a step forward and slammed a palm directly into the center of his chest.

With a loud smack, the Ninth Rank Asura was blasted away, a burst of bloody mist erupting vividly from his chest into the air.

Just as Ye Jingyu was about to advance and utterly erase him, a streak of blue descended from the sky, driving a spear through the Demon Lord’s forehead. Unleashing the full power of a Demon King realm expert, the Ninth Rank Asura was instantly pulverized into dust.

Seeing Ying Kong Shi intervene, Ye Jingyu paused briefly but offered no thanks. Instead, he shifted to the side, drawing the Heavenly Sovereign Blade. A blinding flash of light tore across the sky, slicing another Ninth Rank Demon Lord, who had been fighting Ying Kong Shi, into fragments.

The arrival of these two experts immediately shattered the stalemate. Under their combined full assault, the remaining Ninth Rank Demon Lords of the Asura Clan were quickly executed, rendering the other Asura warriors incapable of posing any further threat.

The months-long war finally drew to a close, yet neither Ying Kong Shi, Ye Jingyu, nor Yan Sen Xu showed any signs of elation. Hei Ming Ba, before his death, had disclosed all the potential dangers they now faced, and no one present dared to relax in the face of those legendary demons.

No one could have predicted that the major Royal Clans’ confrontation against the Violet Flame Demon Clan would conclude in this manner, nor that the Violet Flame Clan and the Blue Demon Clan, who should have been mortal enemies, would ultimately join forces to eliminate the other Royal Clans, even driving the Asura Clan to extinction with the aid of the Demon Dragon.

This was a scenario they had never dared to imagine, yet they had not only conceived of it but achieved it. Despite the victory, their spirits remained heavy.

The battlefield was strewn with corpses and blood of every color, the thick, metallic stench permeating the air. Organs and severed limbs lay everywhere. The surviving demons, standing in scattered groups, were too few to count accurately.

Jiu Li Ta, Chi Yi Xiu, and others collapsed to the ground, gasping raggedly for the foul air. After such a prolonged period of continuous fighting, even their iron wills were pushed to their limits. They owed their survival to sheer good fortune.

Looking at the few remaining Ninth Rank Demon Lords, and at Wu Qing, whose face was contorted with sorrow and rage, Ye Jingyu felt an immense weight in his heart.

In the past, if these demons had slaughtered one another, he wouldn't have felt a shred of pity; he might even have pulled up a small stool to applaud their demise. But now, knowing they were all descendants of the Witch lineage, he felt only a profound, inexpressible heartache.

If they had known this day would come, would they still have fought with such ferocity?

He delegated the task of clearing the battlefield to Yan Sen Xu and Ying Kong Shi, knowing that they, having received Hei Ming Ba’s transmitted intelligence, understood their subsequent duties.

Taking Chi Yi Xiu, Liang Xiao Ke, and others, Ye Jingyu returned first to the territory of the Violet Flame Demon Clan. The fighting there had long since ended, but the Twelve Heavenly Witch Annihilation Formation remained operational. Protected by this array, everyone close to Ye Jingyu, save for Yue Hen, had survived, none regretting their steadfast loyalty.

Upon collapsing the Twelve Heavenly Witch Annihilation Formation, Ye Jingyu saw Hei Ming Shi Xuan being held by Hei Ming Ying Jie, while Jiu Feng and others watched with anxious faces.

Seeing Ye Jingyu return, Hei Ming Shi Xuan jumped from Hei Ming Ying Jie's arms and rushed to Ye Jingyu. Her small hand grasped his, and her pair of purple eyes stared up at him fixedly.

“Big Brother, is Father dead?”

Clear words issued from Hei Ming Shi Xuan’s mouth. Ye Jingyu’s lips parted, unsure how to respond, especially when looking into her large, purple eyes. How could he speak the truth? Tell her yes—that her father died for the peace of the entire Demon Realm, to prevent the demons from the Abyss from emerging?

Could he even utter the words? That was her father, the one who doted on her most.

He scooped up Hei Ming Shi Xuan, burying her head against his chest, gently patting her back, and whispered in the softest voice possible, “Be good, Shi Xuan. Let your Big Brother dote on you and protect you from now on, okay?”

“Big Brother, tell Shi Xuan, where is Father? Is he really gone?” Little Shi Xuan did not answer his soothing words but persisted relentlessly.

Gazing into Hei Ming Shi Xuan’s innocent eyes, Ye Jingyu found himself utterly speechless. He could only nod gently, preparing himself for the inevitable storm of tears.

But strangely, Hei Ming Shi Xuan did not cry. There wasn't even a hint of weeping. She simply watched Ye Jingyu quietly, without speaking or shedding a tear. Her usually lively eyes, however, were slowly turning cold, growing frigid, slowly losing the innocence inherent to childhood.

Witnessing the change in Little Shi Xuan, Ye Jingyu felt his heart being sliced apart. She was just a child, a child who needed her father’s love. Her father, once so mighty, had fallen. Whom else could she trust now?

“Where is Hei Ming Ba?” At that very moment, a figure clad in white appeared before the group. A cold, detached voice emanated from him.